The Genetics Society of America is deeply saddened by the passing of its long-time member and Editor-in-Chief of GENETICS, Elizabeth W. Jones (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA). She passed away June 11, 2008 after being stricken about a month before with an illness from which she never recovered.

Beth's outstanding leadership of the GENETICS journal is well known. She served as Editor-in-Chief for nearly 12 years, and skillfully steered the journal along a path of great change. She brought it into the digital era, judiciously implemented open access, and managed a significant expansion of the journal with efficiency and grace.

A leader in the genetics field, rigorous and fair, Beth was an outstanding editor, as well as a consummate geneticist, both in her own research and as a highly recognized teacher. Her love of genetics inspired generations of students. In 2007, she was the first recipient of the GSA Award for Excellence in Education. We are grateful for Beth’s great contributions to science and to the community of geneticists.

An article celebrating Beth's life and her many contributions to genetics will appear in an upcoming issue of GENETICS.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy to her family and her colleagues at Carnegie Mellon with the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Beth Jones.

 

A memorial symposium to remember Dr. Elizabeth W. Jones and her contributions will be held at Carnegie Mellon University on Wednesday, October 15,2008 at 4:00 p.m. David Botstein, Peter Bruns, Christine Guthrie, and Aaron Mitchell will speak. We invite you to join us for the memorial symposium and reception. Additional details will be made available on Carnegie Mellon's Department of Biological Science website: http://www.cmu.edu/bio/